Devices used in minimally invasive vascular procedures are commonly mounted upon catheters for remote access and delivery to the patient's circulatory system. Since the access site is purposely remote to the therapy or device delivery site, the catheter lengths can be quite long. There are several benefits to packaging and storing long catheters in a coiled configuration. A catheter packaged in a coil, rather than in a long straight length, will save space in manufacturing, in sterilization chambers, in transit and shipping, and on the shelf at the point of use. Smaller packaging will also reduce hospital waste.
Catheters and catheter packages are typically manufactured from biocompatible materials in the thermoplastic family. For purposes herein, the term “thermoplastic” refers to plastic materials that can repeatedly soften and become pliable above a certain temperature and return to a more solid state upon cooling. Thermoplastics tend to deform under stress and thus a catheter packaged in a coiled configuration will tend to take on the shape of the package over time and often acquire a bend bias having a bend radius. The resulting deformation may quicken in warmer environments such as those found in sterilization chambers and even during shelf life.
In a typical endovascular procedure, the initial entry site to the vascular system of a patient includes an introducer sheath and indwelling guide wire. The intended implant and its delivery catheter are mounted on the guide wire and traverse through the introducer. A stiff catheter shaft that is biased to a bend or having a bent configuration makes controlled insertion difficult at this point, thereby putting the patient at risk for inadvertent injury and trauma to the host vessel. Therefore, there is a need for devices, systems and methods for removing bend bias from catheters packaged in a bent configuration.